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The CCNA course offered by Cisco is one of the toughest courses a college student can take. It demands mastery of hardware and software that the student may not have outside of the classroom. As a result, students are looking towards Cisco network emulation software more now than ever, so that they may make the grade.

An expensive yet thorough solution is with Boson’s software packaged named Netsim. Netsim ranges in value, from $200 to $500, depending on the licensing and options needed. Netsim is the best bet for instructors, as it comes loaded with plenty of extras such as activities and grading programs. Perhaps less affordable for students, who are usually on a tight budget.

Dynagen is another program, only it’s absolutely free. Dynagen is an open source program that is built on the Dynamips emulator, available free to download at any time. Dynagen is criticized for its lack of an intuitive interface, yet also hailed as a very functional program once it’s learned. For the seemingly learning impaired, there are better options out there.

GNS-3 is another program based on the Dynamips emulator. GNS-3 is more popular among beginners since it has a better interface and better support. GNS-3, or Graphical Network Simulator, has a developer’s forum and video tutorials to get students ready to use the program. It may not have key features that Netsim has, but teachers can still issue this free program to students and have take-home assignments for them to complete.

Packet Tracer is known to be the king of the industry. Cisco created this software for its own students in the CCNA course. It has the best tutorials, design, and functionality of all the programs listed. The only problem is that if you aren’t a Cisco student, alumni, or instructor- you won’t be able to get your hands on it. You couldn’t get it even if you offered them money; Cisco is strict on only allowing students to get their hands on this fine software. It’s at least worth considering a Cisco class to obtain.

Desktop programs allow for your computer to create very realistic environments for you to use in learning about networks. You may go the route less traveled and instead sign up for a web-based emulation package. Just like desktop software, these programs may or may not charge a fee for using them. You will need an Internet connection to access them, so they aren’t always available when you need them.

In Conclusion

The choices in programs is somewhat limited, due to the advanced technology that goes into creating network simulations. The best, by far, is the Cisco Packet Tracer suite, but if you can’t obtain it, start looking into open source alternatives to use for study time.

Learn more about Download Packet Tracer 5 and Packet Tracer Tutorials.